Recently Nobel Prize organisation announced the Nobel Prize Winners 2023. The Nobel Prize, is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in the world. That stands as a beacon of human achievement and innovation. Established by the will of Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor, scientist, and philanthropist. This annual accolade has celebrated excellence in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine or Physiology, Literature, Peace, and Economic Sciences.
Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Prize has recognized the remarkable contributions of individuals and organizations. It has contributed to the advancement of knowledge and the betterment of humanity. The Nobel Prize also serves as a symbol of inspiration, aspiration, and global cooperation.
In this article, iLovePhD explores the origins, significance, Nobel laureates, Noble Prize winners 2023. Shedding light on the profound influence it exerts on our world today.
2023 Nobel Prize Winners: Discover this Year’s Laureates | iLovePhD
Table of contents
- Who is Alfred Nobel?
- History of Nobel Prize
- Who accords Nobel Prize?
- First Nobel Laureates
- First Female Nobel Laureates
- Youngest Nobel Laureate
- Oldest Nobel Laureate
- List of Indian Nobel Laureates
- Nobel Prize winners 2023
Who is Alfred Nobel?
Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist, engineer, and inventor, earned renown for making significant contributions to science and industry. He was born in 1833 and is best known for inventing dynamite, a revolutionary explosive that transformed construction and mining.
However, Nobel’s enduring legacy extends beyond explosives. He also established the prestigious Nobel Prize, recognizing outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace, and economic science. Leaving an ineffaceable mark on the world’s intellectual and humanitarian contributions.
Picture of Alfred Nobel
History of the Nobel Prize
- Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel drafted a will in 1895 in which he reserved a large part of his estate to establish the Nobel Prizes after concerns about how the world would remember him.
- He wanted the awards to be given to individuals (based on their achievements) annually, despite their nationality
- It took nearly five years for the committee to be set up after his death in 1896.
- The first set of awards for Physiology or Medicine, Chemistry, Literature, Physics and Peace were awarded in 1901.
- After 67 years, Sweden’s central bank with a donation from the Nobel Foundation established the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 1968.
- During World War II, the Nobel Prizes in most categories were not awarded between 1940 and 1942, due to the disruption caused by the war.
- Over the years, the Nobel Prize selection process has faced controversies and criticisms, including omissions of deserving individuals or discoveries. The Nobel Peace Prize was never awarded Mahatma Gandhi, despite his significant contributions to non-violent resistance and peace advocacy, which is a notable omission.
- The Nobel Prizes have evolved to reflect changing times and expanding knowledge. The Nobel Prizes continue to have a profound impact on science, and literature. Peace efforts, and they are considered one of the most prestigious awards in the world.
Who accords the Nobel Prize?
- Physics, Chemistry, and Literature – The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
- Physiology or Medicine – The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute.
- Peace – The Norwegian Nobel Committee.
- Economic Sciences – The Sveriges Riksbank.
Each of these organizations and committees has its own selection process. Criteria for awarding the Nobel Prizes, and they make independent decisions in their respective fields.
First Nobel Laureate (In the year 1901)
A person or organisation awarded the Nobel Prize is called the Nobel Prize laureate. The word “laureate” refers to being signified by the laurel wreath. In Greece, laurel wreaths were awarded to victors as a sign of honour.
Category | Nobel Laureate | Discovery |
Physics | Wilhelm Rontgen | Discovery of X-rays |
Chemistry | Jacobus H. van’t Hoff | Chemical thermodynamics and Osmotic pressure |
Literature | Sully Prudhomme | Poetic works |
Physiology or Medicine | Emil von Behring & Shibasaburo Kitasato | Work on serum therapy for the development of treatment for diphtheria. |
Peace | Henry Dunant & Frederic Passy | Henry Dunant – His role in the founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Frederic Passy – for his advocacy efforts. |
Economic Science | Ragnar Frisch & Jan Tinbergen (1969) | Their contributions to the development of econometrics and the application of mathematical models in economic analysis. |
First Female Nobel Laureates
Category | Nobel Laureate | Year | Discovery |
Physics | Marie Skłodowska Curie, France | 1903 | Radiation Phenomena |
Chemistry | Marie Skłodowska Curie, France | 1911 | Discovery of polonium and radium elements |
Literature | Selma Lagerlof, Sweden | 1909 | Poetic and literature works |
Physiology or Medicine | Gerty Cori, USA | 1947 | Her role in elucidating the metabolism of glucose, including treatment of diabetes. |
Peace | Baroness Bertha von Suttner, Austria | 1905 | Wrote one of the nineteenth century’s most influential books, the anti-war novel “Lay Down Your Arms” (1889) |
Economic Science | Elinor Ostrom, USA | 2009 | For her analysis of economic governance |
Youngest Nobel Laureate
At the age of 17, Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel Prize for Peace in the year 2014.
Oldest Nobel Laureate
At the age of 97, John Goodenough received the Nobel Prize (Chemistry) in the year 2019 for the development of lithium-ion batteries.
List of Indian Nobel Laureates
The following is the list of Indians who were honored with Nobel prizes for their extraordinary works in their field.
- Rabindranath Tagore (1913): He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his collection of poems and songs titled “Gitanjali”.
- Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (1930): He received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the scattering of light and the discovery of the Raman Effect.
- Har Gobind Khorana (1968): He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on the interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis.
- Mother Teresa (1979): Although born in Macedonia, Mother Teresa is closely associated with India due to her extensive charitable work in Kolkata. She received the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian work.
- Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1983): He was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the theory of the structure and evolution of stars.
- Amartya Sen (1998): He received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and his work on famines.
- Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul (2001): He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
- Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2009): He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the structure and function of the ribosome, a cellular organelle involved in protein synthesis.
- Kailash Satyarthi (2014): He shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Malala Yousafzai for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.
- Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee (2019): He received Nobel Prize in Economics for his experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.
Nobel Prize winners 2023
Category | Nobel Laureate | Discovery |
Physics | Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz and Anne L’Huillier | For the experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter |
Chemistry | Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov | For the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots |
Literature | Jon Fosse | For his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable |
Physiology or Medicine | Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman | For their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19”. |
Peace | Narges Mohammadi | For her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all. |
Economic Science | Claudia Goldin | For having advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes”. |